mutilation
noun
mu·ti·la·tion
ˌmyü-tə-ˈlā-shən 
plural mutilations
1
: an act or instance of destroying, removing, or severely damaging a limb or other body part of a person or animal
the mutilation of a body
They were men who had been sexually damaged by disease, accident, or deliberate mutilation.—
James J. O'Donnell
James J. O'DonnellHis book contains very many gruesome accounts of murder and mutilation, and page after page describing torture in almost salacious detail.—Geoffrey Wheatcroft
see also female genital mutilation
Geoffrey Wheatcroft2
: an act or instance of damaging or altering something radically
Evidence suggests that the mutilation of the sculptures was deliberate.
Thus an author has the right of paternity (authorship) and integrity (the right to object to derogatory actions, distortion, mutilation or other modifications in relation to his or her work that would be prejudicial to the artist's honor or reputation).—Judith Nierman
Judith NiermanCritics described the proposed structure as a "vast pile of masonry" that they feared would never be removed and would become a "permanent mutilation of Hyde Park."—Henry Petroski
Henry PetroskiExamples of mutilation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That includes places of darkness, perversity and mutilation not for the squeamish, but there’s a counterbalancing lightness to Kinds of Kindness that serves the material well.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2024
There are also culinary delights that aren’t for the faint of stomach, as well as a sprinkle of mutilations and graphic violence that might upset the squeamish.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 17 May 2024
Gustavson, who is Norwegian, was sentenced by a London court on Friday for engaging in various offenses that included genital mutilation, selling body parts and branding his victims, per the BBC, Reuters and The Guardian.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
But the United Nations and human rights organizations were slow to denounce the reports of rape and mutilation against Israelis – mostly girls and women but also men.
—Jake Tapper, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
That being said, almost a dozen murders and mutilations from 1888 to 1891 were included in initial investigations and speculatively attributed to the Ripper, of which five were connected — in the course of those investigations — to a single culprit.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024
The first half of the novel affords a devastating look at the death, mutilation and overall destruction witnessed every day by these valiant women.
—Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
Government vows to bring perpetrators to justice following CNN reporting
In 2016, two women were charged before a Banjul Magistrates’ Court in the country’s capital after a five-month-old infant girl died from genital mutilation in the Sankandi area of Gambia’s Kiang West district.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge David Swanson ordered Sultan Shareef, a multiple felon, to serve the rest of his life in prison for the gruesome Sept. 24, 2022, slaying and mutilation of 20-year-old Kania Brunson.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2024
There are also culinary delights that aren’t for the faint of stomach, as well as a sprinkle of mutilations and graphic violence that might upset the squeamish.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 17 May 2024
Gustavson, who is Norwegian, was sentenced by a London court on Friday for engaging in various offenses that included genital mutilation, selling body parts and branding his victims, per the BBC, Reuters and The Guardian.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
But the United Nations and human rights organizations were slow to denounce the reports of rape and mutilation against Israelis – mostly girls and women but also men.
—Jake Tapper, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
That being said, almost a dozen murders and mutilations from 1888 to 1891 were included in initial investigations and speculatively attributed to the Ripper, of which five were connected — in the course of those investigations — to a single culprit.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024
The first half of the novel affords a devastating look at the death, mutilation and overall destruction witnessed every day by these valiant women.
—Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
Government vows to bring perpetrators to justice following CNN reporting
In 2016, two women were charged before a Banjul Magistrates’ Court in the country’s capital after a five-month-old infant girl died from genital mutilation in the Sankandi area of Gambia’s Kiang West district.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge David Swanson ordered Sultan Shareef, a multiple felon, to serve the rest of his life in prison for the gruesome Sept. 24, 2022, slaying and mutilation of 20-year-old Kania Brunson.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mutilation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mutilation
Cite this Entry
“Mutilation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutilation. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
mutilation
noun
mu·ti·la·tion
ˌmyüt-ᵊl-ˈā-shən
1
: deprivation of a limb or essential part especially by excision
the mutilation of a body
2
: an instance of mutilating
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share